U.S. Navy Preparing Supplement to the Northwest Training and Testing Draft EIS

The Supplement to the Draft EIS/OEIS is expected in early December 2014.

The U.S. Navy, along with other military services, shares the environment with the people, plants, and animals that rely on land and ocean ecosystems. Navy training and testing activities and commercial and recreational ocean activity have coexisted for decades.

(SILVERDALE, Wash.) - Following publication of the Draft EIS/OEIS on January 24, 2014, the U.S. Navy determined that updated training requirements would result in changes to the Proposed Action.

Therefore, the U.S. Navy is preparing a Supplement to the Northwest Training and Testing (NWTT) Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement (EIS/OEIS).

The purpose of this Supplement to the Draft EIS/OEIS is to present these changes and significant new information relevant to environmental concerns.

These changes include an updated requirement for increased use of sonobuoys during training in the Northwest Training Range Complex.

Another change to be addressed in this supplement will be additional analysis related to assessing impacts of ongoing maritime security operations.

These types of activities to be evaluated will now include maritime security escorts for Navy vessels such as Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarines [SSBNs].

Given these changes, the Navy determined that preparation of a Supplement to the Draft EIS was warranted.

The Supplement to the Draft EIS is expected to be available in December 2014. At that time, a notice of availability will be published in the Federal Register and the public will have a 45-day review period to comment on the Supplement.

All public comments received during the Draft EIS comment period (Jan. 24 - April 15, 2014) are still valid and are being considered in the development of the Final EIS.

Background

In the NWTT Draft EIS/OEIS that was previously released, the Navy evaluated the potential environmental effects from military readiness training and testing activities conducted primarily within existing range complexes and testing ranges in the NWTT Study Area.

The purpose of the Proposed Action is to ensure that the Navy accomplishes its mission to maintain, train and equip combat-ready naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression and maintaining freedom of the seas.

This mission is achieved in part by training and testing within the NWTT Study Area. The NWTT EIS/OEIS also supports the renewal of federal regulatory permits and authorizations for current training and testing activities and future activities requiring environmental analysis.

The NWTT Study Area is composed of Navy training and testing range complexes, operating areas, testing facilities, and select Navy pierside locations in the Pacific Northwest.

Aircraft training and testing activities that take place on or within established Navy airfields at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash. or Naval Weapons Systems Training Facility Boardman, Ore. are not included in this NWTT EIS/OEIS.

Visit the project website at www.NWTTEIS.com to learn more about the project.

Source: U.S. Navy